The present invention addresses two well-known problems in the electronics industry. The first problem involves the removal of heat from a component which generates enough heat so that a very large heat sink is typically required for adequate heat dissipation. The second problem addresses the need for quick and easy removal of these heat generating components from their surrounding housing for service, testing, or replacement.
Prior solutions have addressed these problems. In some instances, when a heat generating component requires a very large heat sink, the component is thermally coupled to its surrounding housing. This coupling is often performed by attaching a thermal heat transfer pad to or placing an amount of thermal grease on the housing at the point of desired coupling, and then securing the component to the housing with bolts or machine screws. The thermal heat transfer pad or thermal grease eliminates any insulating airspace between the housing and the component, and therefore heat may transfer from the component to the housing.
However, this prior solution does not facilitate the quick and easy removal of the heat generating component from its surrounding housing. Each time a component or the circuit board is removed from the housing, one must remove the bolt or screws attaching the component to the housing. In the constrained space of an electronics assembly housing, this operation is often difficult and time consuming. In addition, if thermal grease is utilized to thermally couple the component to the housing, an amount of grease must be reapplied to the housing each time a component is secured to the housing.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an assembly which allows a heat generating component to utilize a surrounding housing as a heat sink.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such an assembly which allows the heat generating component and the circuit board to which the component is connected to be easily and quickly removed from the housing.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such an assembly in which the removal of the heat generating component or the circuit board from the housing does not require any subsequent operation within the housing to re-establish the thermal coupling between the component and the housing.
Still other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having references to the following specification together with its drawings.